Rogaška Slatina has been recognized as an important spa center since the 17th century due to its many springs of mineral water with healing properties. The development of fashionable tourism in the 19th century was interrupted by the Second World War, and the decline of tourism continued even after the breakup of Yugoslavia, mainly due to the transfer of important public facilities to private ownership. In recent years, the quality of the tourist offer has continued to decline, despite good natural resources and built infrastructure with a long tradition. The tourism development strategy in Rogaška Slatina foresees key steps to improve the situation, but only from one point of view, without the involvement of the local population and their needs. Rogaška Slatina and the surrounding settlements have 11,237 inhabitants, in recent years the number has been decreasing, many of them are moving to other centers. Younger residents in particular are faced with the absence of public programs, the lack of public spaces for casual meetings, the lack of housing, etc. The lack of suitable programs and activities in the city results in dissatisfaction and poor social cohesion among residents. (Which was especially noticeable during the past epidemic.) Isolation and social exclusion or the disconnection of society leads to health problems and the development of mental distress and disease. As a city of health, Rogaška Slatina should put the well-being of local residents first.
The master's thesis deals with the issue of the development of the place, especially from the point of view of care for the local residents, preservation of the identity of the place while at the same time taking care of balanced touristic and local development. One of the possible scenarios is discussed on the example of the location of abandoned carpentry workshops, where I show the possibilities of revitalization, renovation and extension of the building, which otherwise in the perception of economic and tourism-oriented development of the place is recognized only as a »plot« for the construction of another building, intended only for visitors to Rogaška Slatine. The idea of the new project is based on the design of a health center with an alternative branch of therapeutic treatment, including mental illnesses. The central guiding principle of the center's design are various forms of movement along with new spatial potentials for interactions and spontaneous meetings of all generations.
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